Picker stick



mec. 11s, 1923.

F. MOSSBERG PICKER STIGK Filed Oct. 5l 1922 314114211101', jwzz/@sfy 61H01 mi@ Patented Ejea i8, N231 naar raar orten,

FEEv MUSSBEBG, F ATTLQRO, SSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 MOSSBERG PRESS@ STEEL @@RPOBATION, 0F ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR- PQEATXDN 0F SSAGEUSETTS.

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appreciate mea loctober er, ieee. serial no. scant.

To all 'wit/om t may concern:

Be it own that l, FRANK Mossnno a citizen of the United States, residin att tleboro in the county ci Bristol and tate of .G Ma'achusetts, have invented certain new and useful llmprovements in Picker Sticks, of which the following is a specication.

This invention' relates to metal picker sticks of the type employed to drive the t@ shuttle across the loom; and the object of this invention is to provide .a picker stick of this character formed of metal and in such shape that it will be very light in weight and somewhat yieldable in its action B upon coming forcibly in contact with the shuttle. lin other words, to torni a picker v stick of metal having the maximum rigidity consistent with light weight and yet have the required exibility to yieldably absorb 2@ shocks of engaging the shuttle to throw it across the loom.

A further object of this invention is to provide a spring through whichthe operating power is transmitted to the picker stick.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cup-shaped holder and secure the same to'the operating end of the stick and vin which a bud'er or pad of leather or other shock-absorbing material is mounted.

With these and other ob'ects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described, and particularlyv pointed out in the ap nded claims..

n the accompanying drawings: llire 1 is a front ed view of my imroved metal icker stic which is formed 1n the shape o a channel bar, and showing the eds of the bar as crimped or wavy ab along t eir length.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of my improved metal picker stick showing a spring' on the back of the stick vthrough ,which power is transmitted to the stick. et Figure 3 is a view of a portion of the back edge of the stick and' showing the spring mounted thereon.

.Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view stic on line l-d of Figure 2, showing the cupshaped member in which the leather bumper is carried.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the spring through which the operating power is gieldingly transmitted to the picker Figure 6 is a perspective view of the leather pad which is secured to the back of the sprin :f

Figure is a view of my improved metal picker stick and showing the slot therein by il@ means of which the buer member may be adjusted verticall on the stick.

lt is found in t e practical use of wooden picker sticks that they often break, and in addition to seriously interfering with the @5 continuous action of the loom, the shuttle when the stick breaks sometimes stops in a position to not only break down the warp threads, but also to break other parts of the mechanism, and to obviate this diiicult ll have provided a picker stick formed of s eet metal and preferably bent into the form of angle iron whereby the stick will be substantially as light in weight as wood and in order to render it yieldable or somewhat resilient like that of the wooden stick, l crimp or otherwise treat or shape the stock of the stick whereby the stick will Hex and provide the necessary elasticity or yieldv ability Afor properly driving the shuttle across the lay; and the following is a detailed descri tion of one construction of picker stick y which these results may be accomplished With reference to the drawings, 10 desig- 85 nates my improved metal picker stick which is preferably formed of sheet metal channel v iron. of substantially U-shape in cross section having a back wall 11 and two opposite side walls 12. rlhis stick is preferably 9 tapering, that is, the side walls are deeper ceiving a strap 15 from the spring reel 16 to return the stick after having been rolled on'its rocker-shoe 17 under impulse of its actuating mechanism (not shown), through a strap or link 18. At the. upper end of this picker stick, I preferably turn the edges 19 of the side walls inwardly towards each other for a short distance down along the stick to `provide a broad, bearing surface to engage the sto for limiting the forward stroke of the stick, t ese inturned edges also serving as a broad bearing for the cup member 20-on which. a leather buler 21 is mounted, which cup may be secured in. position by a bolt 22 that passes through a slot 23 in the back plate 11 of the stick.

It is found in practice essential in the construction oit'l a metal picker stick of this character to render thesaine more or less yieldable at the time of its impact or engagement with the shuttle, and to accomplish this in a simple and effective way, I have crimped or stretched the edges 24 of this channel bar forcing them out of a vstraight line into a wavy line, whereby when a shock is received on the stick by its impact against the shuttle these edges will have a tendency to strai hten out and so rmit the stick to yield, ex or bend slighty backward.

By this construction, a metal picker stick may be formed substantially as light in weight as wood and with the necessary resilienc to impart a quick and snappyy action to t e shuttle in throwing it across a loom which would not be the eect if the shuttle were engaged by a dead hammer blow.

In some instances where greater exibility is required than that in the stick itself,

l mount and secure a bow type of flat spring 2 5 upon the back of this stick and secure its upper end to the stick by means of a `bolt 26, the lower end of the spring being preferably slotted as at 27 to permit an endways movement while flexing, the slot being engaged by a loose rivet 28. I also preferably form lateral notches 29 in the 'edges of this sprin through which the link 18 passes, a leat'er cushioned pad 30 and a hard rubber or fiber pad 31 being positioned to be engaged by the link to soften'its operating blow upon'the picker stick through the spring.

I have shown and described the picker stick as operating with the channel portion open on its inner side, but this stick may operate in the reverse position of desired, that is, in position so that the thrust ma v.be received on the opposite side or face o the stick, vif desired.

' My improved form ofpicker stick is very simple, practical and inexpensive in construction' and eective in its action and by its'use av metal picker stick is rovided which which performs all ofthe unctions of a wooden picker stick and 'by its use the solely terasse' operating life of the picker stick is materially increased.

The foregoin description is directed but desire it to be understood that I do not wish to be restricted to making the stick in channel form as the stick may be formed of sheet metalbent into any angular formv or any other form to possess the required lightness of weight and ilexibility without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention which is defined and limited only by the terms-of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet metal picker stick of angular form in 'cross section having walls setat substantially right angles to eachother, one of said walls mtermediate its ends bein laterally offset out of the plane of the en portions thereof.

2. A sheet metal picker stick of angular form in cross section having bottom and Side walls, the latter wall having laterally` offset portions to render the stick yieldable in the plane of its oscillation.

3. A sheet metal picker stick bent into channel form and having portions of its towards t e construction illustrated,

side walls offset laterally to render the stick set edges and having inturned edges at one end to form a 'bearing for a picker.

6. A sheet metal p1cker stick-of angular form in cross section having one wall dis posed in a plane at right angles to that of the thrust of the stick and having another wall set substantially parallel to the plane of thrust, portions of said latter wall being oli'set laterally Jfrom the plane of the restv of said wall to render it yieldable in the direction of its width.

7. A sheet metal picker stick of angular form in cross section. having one wall dis'- posed in a plane at a right angle to that of its plane of oscillation, and another wall set parallel to the planeof oscillation, portions of the free edgeof said latter wall being onset out of the plane of the rest of said wall to render ityieldable in a plane parallel with that of its oscillation.

8. A sheetmetal picker stick formed with a wall at a right angle to the vplane of its oscillation and another wall dis osed in a lane parallel tothat of its oscil lation and avin one edge integral with the first mentione .,wall, the free 'edge of the last menplane of the rest of that wall.

ermee 9. A sheet metal picker stiek'bent inte channel form and crimped to render it yieldable in line with its thrust.

10. A sheet metal picker stick bent into channel form and having its edges crimped to render it yieldeble.

11. A metal picker stick formed of n channel ber having crimped or wavy edges and having inturned edges to form a bearin for n picker. c

n testimony whereof ll eix my slgneture.

FRANK MUSSBERG. 

